


a deity's wish

by azunshi



Series: asanoya week 2020 [5]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Catboy Nishinoya Yuu, Getting to Know Each Other, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, M/M, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, i cant believe there isnt a tag for catboy noya
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-20
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26009557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/azunshi/pseuds/azunshi
Summary: The deity regards Asahi with consideration, his amber eyes taking in the sight of the human before him. Asahi feels his face heat up. No one has ever looked at him that closely before, the gaze picking every single detail of him apart. "What is your name?” asks the deity.Asahi gives a small start. “A-Azumane Asahi,” he answers, voice bearing a small tremble.The deity’s eyebrows quirk upwards with interest. “Azumane Asahi, you say?” he asks. “What a wonderful name.”where Azumane Asahi is chosen as an offering to appease the gods.
Relationships: Azumane Asahi/Nishinoya Yuu
Series: asanoya week 2020 [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1882087
Comments: 8
Kudos: 39
Collections: Asanoya (main pairing), Asanoya Week 2020





	a deity's wish

**Author's Note:**

> for day 5 of [asanoya week 2020](https://twitter.com/asanoyaweek)  
> prompt: ~~wedding/proposal~~ OR supernatural
> 
> if you dont already follow me on twitter, i've been really into catboy noya for awhile now. i've also been playing around w the idea of japanese mythology inspired au for asanoya and i had a big brain moment when i thought about this fic. anyway, i cant believe no one has made a tag for Catboy Nishinoya Yuu, or at least made it prominent enough to show up in the tag suggestions ... anyway, catboy noya please consider this.

It’s been a long time since it rained in the village. It started with the unusually high temperatures during two growing seasons ago, drying out the rice fields and sucking up moisture in the soil. Crops wilted and died, and the villagers soon found themselves taking more from the grain stores than they could replace. 

The drought did not make sense to anyone. The mountain on which the village was located had always been blessed with rain for as long as anyone remembered. The soil here was good, rich with nutrients for crops, and never falling to bring about bountiful harvests each year.

Concerned about the sudden change, the villagers sought help from a wandering shaman who happened to be on his regular visits to their town. After reading the bones, the shaman proclaimed the drought as a sign the gods that resided on this mountain were angry and that this drought was punishment. To appease them, he advised sending a person from the village to the shrine at the foot of the mountain.

Lots were thrown and Lady Fortune had chosen none other than Azumane Asahi to be sent away.

Naturally, Asahi accepted his fate. It wasn’t something he could fight against. Fate could only be changed by the gods if they willed it, and from all the things that happened to him in his ripe 19 years of age, it seemed they were content with leaving his fate as unfortunate as it is.

Asahi grew up as a poor farmer’s son, toiling away in the fields when he was old enough to help around. He had two older brothers but they had been born sickly and passed away a long time ago. His parents, old and weakened from the starvation, had also passed away not too long ago, leaving him the last member of the Azumane family. The villagers took pity on him, but there was only so much pity that could go around.

Asahi tells himself that, in a way, he’s repaying everyone for the kindness they showed him. He had no family, none that were living anyway, so he would not be breaking anyone’s heart by leaving. And it wasn’t like he had much to live for; his life had been hard enough.

At daybreak the next day, Asahi leaves the village for the shrine. The directions he received from the shaman was vague but the information was sufficient that he knew all he needed to do was hike higher up in the mountain. He’d stumble upon it eventually, the shaman promised, as the gods would know he was arriving to them as an offering and would be eager to accept.

As the village grew further away from his back, Asahi wonders if the gods would acknowledge him. And how they would ‘accept’ him as an offering. The villagers hadn’t mentioned how the process went because no one had ever lived to tell the tale. The thought would frighten anyone but all Asahi felt was calm acceptance.

Asahi hikes for hours through the forest, pausing once or twice to rest and to eat. But as the sun sinks lower in the sky, he grows more anxious. Surely, if the gods are eager to accept him as an offering, they’d have done so by revealing the shrine to him. Yet, he finds himself walking about with no direction in mind trying to find the shrine he was supposed to go to. 

Asahi sinks down on a boulder, despondent. The sky above him has already grown darker, the underbellies of clouds overhead painted pink and gold. The air in the forest is filled with the song birds sing when they return home. Asahi sighs, putting his head in his hands.

What if the gods decided they no longer wanted him as an offering? What should he do when night falls and he is left to fend himself from the wolves and demons that dwell in this forest? What is the best course of action at this point?

Perhaps he should not have accepted his fate so readily. 

A gentle breeze rustles the leaves overhead. Among the whispers of trees, Asahi catches a faint tinkling sound, like the noise a bell would make. Except bells were only carried by shamans and gods.

And that would mean he is not alone. 

Asahi looks up to find a dirt path he didn’t see a few feet away from where he sat on the boulder. His heart begins to race as he sits up, eyes wide with astonishment. Could this mean … ? He thinks as he slides off the boulder.

Hoping desperately the sudden appearance of this path meant the gods have accepted him, Asahi wastes no time traveling along it. The forest is dark but somehow he can see enough not to stray from the path. Soon, he comes across a torii gate, glowing vermillion in the dark. Or at least he thought it was glowing until he blinks again and the shrine comes to existence beyond the gates, brightly lit and inviting. 

Asahi’s heart is pounding furiously in his chest as he regards the strange scenery before him. At the back of his mind, he knows somehow once he crosses the torii gate, there will be no turning back. There would be no returning to the things he once knew. But he also somehow knew that if he took one more step towards the shrine, he’d be in good hands. It was the strangest feeling but Asahi takes a moment to remind himself why he is here in the first place and that helps strengthen his resolve.

Drawing a deep breath, Asahi takes a step forward and crosses the gate.

Immediately the cool mountain air gives away to a balmy and welcoming atmosphere. The air smells faintly of some kind of flower, a scent that tickles the edge of Asahi’s memories. Asahi looks around, hoping for some sign of divine presence. He waits and waits. Nothing comes, of course.

Asahi does not know if the gods expect him to enter the main building before him or if he should wait here for someone, or something, to receive him. He does not know much about the gods’ etiquettes and any customs he should obey as a guest/offering. Anxiety bubbles under his ribcage as he peers around, expecting some sort of sign to appear and tell him what to do.

“Mrow.”

Asahi blinks then frowns. Did he just hear a cat?

“Mrow.” The sound comes off as impatient now. And it seems to be coming near Asahi. He looks ahead then down before giving a start.

A sleek black cat stares up at him with lambent yellow eyes. Asahi knows right away that it’s no ordinary cat because its tail, swishing behind it. That, and the cat is dressed in clothes. Without waiting for Asahi’s response, it rises to its hind feet to stand the same way a human does and clears its throat. “The master is waiting for you,” it says in a light but somewhat scratchy voice.

Asahi blinks. “M-me?” Even though he’s aware of the fact that he’s being expected, the talking cat is a shock to the system.

The cat nods and turns around. “Come,” it says before walking towards the main building.

Asahi follows it with some uncertainty. As they approach the main building, Asahi comes to realize that this shrine is not a shrine at all, but appears to be a residence of some sort. Like a lord’s mansion, not that he’s ever been to one but he has heard from the other villagers who have travelled and brought back tales of wondrous grandeur and unimaginable debauchery.

Asahi wonders if gods had the capacity for debauchery although if they did, it’d probably be less of a problem compared to than it would be for humans.

“Wait here,” says the cat when they stop in front of one of the rooms along the hallway. Asahi nods, watching as the cat shuts the door behind it. He takes the moment to look around the hallway, taking note of the feel of floorboards under his feet to the details of the architecture around him.

It’s a bit dizzying, if he could admit. All he knew was his simple home back in the village where he had a mud-thatched roof over his head, a dirt floor and just one room where the hearth, kitchen and sleeping area was located. They had not been lying about the imposing feeling of grandness and wealth someone like him would feel in a residence like this.

The sound of the door sliding open brings Asahi’s attention back to the present. The cat is back, regarding Asahi with those lambent yellow eyes. “He is ready to see you.”

Asahi can hear his pulse roaring in his ears again, that tightening sensation under his ribcage. He nods, drawing a deep breath before he walks towards the door. The cat bows, letting him enter before shutting the door behind him.

The first thing Asahi notices about the room is the feeling of the floor. He looks down, finding tatami mats instead of floorboards and marvels at how it feels under feet. Then he remembers himself and looks up. The room appears to be a parlor for receiving guests, shoji screens on the end directly across that are open to allow the night air from inside ventilate the room, a fusuma on the other end painted with images of mountains shrouded in mist, while at the other end sits a man. 

No, not a man, Asahi realizes with a start, a _deity_. While the deity seated appears like a man dressed in fine and beautiful robes, in place of where human ears should be are pointed ones, like that of a cat’s. A sleek black tail swishes behind him. His hair is dark, a color darker than any shade of black Asahi has ever seen, but a section of his hair sweeping over his forehead is golden in color. The deity regards Asahi with curious amber eyes. 

Though Asahi is unsure of the right way to greet a deity, he figures starting off with a bow should be a safe bet. But just as he gets down on his knees, the deity makes a noise. Asahi stops, fearing that he might have somehow offended the deity when he notices the slight shake of his head.

“There is no need for formalities,” the deity says, voice clear but not lacking the authority Asahi expected beings of his kind to speak with to humans. Asahi nods and straightens up but stops himself; what next? As if sensing his confusion, the deity makes a beckoning gesture. “Come, sit here with me.”

As if on their own, Asahi’s feet move towards the deity before he finds himself seated across the deity. A bead of sweat breaks across his forehead. The room feels stiflingly hot, despite the cool night breeze wafting in from the open shoji doors. Asahi keeps his gaze on the deity but does not look directly into his eyes; he does not know if that would be considered rude but it’s best not to offend fickle beings like gods.

“You must be weary from your journey here,” says the deity.

Asahi looks up in surprise, meeting the deity’s eyes before averting his gaze quickly. He tries to say something in reply but no words come to him. So he shakes his head, slowly and hesitantly. 

A low noise comes from the deity which Asahi comes to realize is a chuckle. The corners of the deity’s mouth is lifted into a smile, revealing the tiniest tips of fangs resting on his lower lip. “There is no need to lie to me. I can see weariness in your eyes and in the way you hold yourself,” says the deity. 

He regards Asahi with consideration, his amber eyes taking in the sight of the human before him. Asahi feels his face heat up. No one has ever looked at him that closely before, the gaze picking every single detail of him apart.  “What is your name?” asks the deity.

Asahi gives a small start. “A-Azumane Asahi,” he answers, voice bearing a small tremble.

The deity’s eyebrows quirk upwards with interest. “Azumane Asahi, you say?” he asks. “What a wonderful name.”

Asahi’s face heats up. “T-thank you.” He purses his lips, gathering his courage, before saying, “My deepest apologies for asking this but how should I address you? UnfortunatelyI have not been … properly educated on the etiquettes I should be observing in the presence of a god.” 

Delight brightens the deity’s face. “How refreshing,” he remarks. “You may call me Yuu.”

“Yuu … -sama.”

“No need for the honorifics,” laughs Yuu, amused. “‘Yuu’ will suffice,” he insists. ”It’s been a long time since I’ve met a human, although they have always grovelled at my feet for a wish I do not have the power to grant.” As soon as he finishes his sentence, Asahi’s blood grows cold. 

For the longest time he has heard of tales where the gods had limitless power to do anything they wished, which included helping those that deserved it. But since he heard it with his own ears now how this deity before him had limits to his power, Asahi wonders if asking for rain for his village may unfortunately be out of Yuu’s scope of power. 

“My apologies,” Asahi says, bowing low that his head brushes with the floor. “But I have come on behalf of my village to ask of you one thing.”

If there is any change in the atmosphere, Asahi does not know if it’s a good thing he cannot tell the difference. Yuu does not speak but Asahi does not dare to look up until he gets some kind of response.

“Please, Asahi, rise.” 

Asahi looks up, lips folded together, as dread and worry pressed down on his shoulders. He sneaks a glance at Yuu’s features in search of a sign — good or bad, it didn’t matter — but finds a strange sadness in the Yuu expression.

“I will listen to your request,” the deity promises, “but you must have something to eat.” At the surprise in Asahi’s face, Yuu smiles. “After all, you are a guest in my home and it would be very rude of me not to give you something to eat.”

Before Asahi can ponder what that comment meant, Yuu raises his hand. Immediately, a servant appears at the door announcing that tonight’s meal has been prepared and ready to be served. Yuu gives his permission and the servants enter the room. 

Up till tonight, Asahi’s meal has always consisted of porridge and some vegetables he could grow on his plot of land, sometimes fish if he had time to go to the river and fish that day. Tonight’s fare made his meals pale infinitely in comparison. They were served a multi-course meal, starting off with sweetened wine and appetizers he didn’t know the name of, and ending with a dessert of sweets and fruits. 

Asahi does his best but he can feel his stomach rumbling ominously from the rich fare. It must show on his face, or maybe Yuu has very sharp hearing to be able to make out his stomach making the noises over the music played for them. “Here, drink this.” Yuu offers him a drink.

Asahi knows better than to deny a deity so he drinks it, half-expecting to throw up but surprisingly the sweet-tasting liquid does something to him that the fullness of his stomach no longer bothers him.

“Feel better?”

Asahi nods.

Yuu smiles, and returns his attention to the musicians. “Please do not hesitate to inform me if there is anything I can do for you,” he tells Asahi.

Asahi nods but decides to wait until the meal is formally over before making his request again. After all, he is not here to enjoy himself at the deity’s residence with all its lavish glory he could never dream of experiencing in his life. He’s here as an offering on behalf of his village.

Finally, Yuu dismisses the servants in the room and rises to his full height. “Come walk with me in the courtyard, Asahi. We shall discuss your request now.”

Asahi quickly gets to his feet but to his surprise, he notices Yuu is about a head shorter than he is. He expected him to be taller. They leave the reception room past the open shoji doors overlooking a garden. Servants hurry to place sandals on the stone steps for the two of them. Asahi’s pair fits perfectly for some reason.

The soft noise of running water from the pon and distant songs of night insects fills the silence between them. The breeze carries the faint flowery scent from earlier, lifting the strands of Asahi’s hair away from his face. Yuu walks with a strange but elegant grace, keeping a step or two ahead of Asahi. His tail, snaking out from somewhere below the folds of his robes, swishes behind him with ease.

“Now, what is it that you are here for, Asahi?” asks Yuu, glancing over his shoulder to Asahi as they pass by a wisteria tree.

Asahi draws a steadying breath. “I am here on behalf of my village,” he begins. “We have not had rain for the past seasons, and because of that we are unable to grow our crops. As a result, our village is starving. The wandering shaman informed us that this drought is a sign that the gods are displeased with us and I have been chosen to be sent as an offering to appease their anger.” He looks hopefully at the deity, whose back is turned towards him as Yuu examines a flower bush. Asahi kneels on the ground and bows low. “Please help us, Yuu-sama.”

Gentle hands come to rest on Asahi’s back; the sudden contact startles him. “Asahi, please,” says Yuu, his voice gentle. Asahi sits up to find a sad expression in Yuu’s eyes and his heart sinks through his insides.

“Does this mean you cannot help me?”

Yuu’s lips fold together into a thin line but he nods. “I am afraid so.” His hands are still on Asahi’s shoulders. “Do you know what I am?”

Asahi hesitates. “A god? A mountain god, of some sort?” he ventures but bites back at the last second.

Instead of being offended, Yuu smiles with genuine amusement. “You are corect, Asahi,” says Yuu. He puts out his hand and after a moment, Asahi takes it. They rise to their feet together.

It’s strange, Asahi thinks, how Yuu has to crane his neck to look up at him. Although he’s heard of gods being able to change their forms as they wished, he wonders why Yuu does not change his height to appear intimidating or fearsome towards Asahi. Gods demanded respect yet here Yuu was, treating Asahi as if he was an equal.

Yuu lets go of Asahi’s hand but the faintest tingling sensation from his touch lingers on Asahi’s skin. “I am a mountain god,” he says, “But I am also a guardian deity. Do you understand what that means?” Though Asahi can guess what Yuu’s role was as a god, he shakes his head. Yuu nods. “My duties only include protecting this mountain. Wish-granting is outside my capabilities, unfortunately, so I cannot help your village.” Yuu pauses thoughtfully. “However, there is still a way your wish may be granted.”

Asahi perks up with interest, heart pounding. “How will you do that?”

“I can send a message to the rain god on your behalf,” says Yuu. 

“Will you send me as well?” asks Asahi before he realized how stupid the question sounded. “I’m sorry I do not mean that I am unsatisfied with — I mean, for gods to grant a wish or a prayer, there must be an offering, right? And since, I am an offering …” He trails off.

Yuu doesn’t say anything for a few moments, his lambent eyes searching Asahi before he turns away. A hint of a smile flashes across his features. “Dear me, aren’t you endearing,” he says.

Asahi can’t help flushing at the remark. “My apologies,” he mumbles.

“No need to apologize,” laughs Yuu. “I’ve never met a human as thoughtful as you are,” he says. “No, if it’s a god requesting another god, offerings are not needed. Besides, the rain deity and I are very familiar with each other so you need not worry about any sort of payments.” 

“Oh.” Asahi blinks. “Oh, then …. Oh.” He takes a moment to process what Yuu just said before an idea occurs to him. “Then does this mean I may return home?” It turns out to be the wrong thing to ask because the lighthearted smile on Yuu’s face evaporates.

“I am very sorry, Asahi.” Yuu turns away. “But once a human passes through the torii gates, they may never leave the shrine unless they are accompanied by a god the entire time. Of course, if you would like to leave and see your village, I would be happy to accompany you but you cannot stay for long. My powers grow weak the longer I am away from the land of the gods and I cannot leave your presence either. I cannot explain to you why this is the case but things have always been this way.”

Oh, thinks Asahi, this must be why no one has ever returned home to share their experience of being among the gods. He gazes around the courtyard, at the grand main building then back at Yuu. It’s all very beautiful but something about the expansiveness of the deity’s residence brings a sense of forlornness in Asahi’s chest.

Another thought occurs to him and this time Asahi does not hesitate to voice it aloud. “Do you ever feel lonely living like this?”

Yuu’s ears prick up. The tip of his tails twitches into a curved shape. “How did you know?” he asks, turning very slightly. 

Asahi shakes his head. “I don’t. But, forgive me for my assumption, you seemed very pleased to have me here. And you also mentioned that it has been a long time since you’ve met a human.”

“It has.” Yuu acknowledges. He turns to face Asahi, wearing a strangely hopeful expression on his face. Or maybe Asahi thought it was strange for a deity to regard a human with hope in their eyes when it should be the other way around. “Would you mind if I asked one thing from you?”

“One thing?” Asahi repeats. “Do you mean a wish?”

Yuu nods, the tips of his ears lowering slightly. “I realize this may be out of my place to request of you and you may not have much of a choice due to the circumstances,” he admits, “but I would like us to be friends.” He glances away, his ears lowering even more. Something about his body language gives Asahi the impression of shyness, making his chest squeeze with a sudden fondness; he didn’t think that gods could be embarrassed. “It does get a little lonely here sometimes, and while I appreciate my servants, they are only cats.”

Asahi takes a moment to consider. While Yuu is right about him not having much of a choice in this deal, it might not be such a bad thing to befriend a deity. How many mortals have had the opportunity to say that they are on good terms with a divine being—although it’s not like Asahi would be able to brag to anyone about it—? Besides that Asahi hasn’t had anyone he was able to call a friend for a long time now.

“I think that would be wonderful,” says Asahi with a smile.

Yuu’s ears perk upwards. “Do you mean that?” he asks, astonished.

Asahi nods. “Although I must tell you that I did not have many friends when I grew up in my village … —” He breaks off at the sight of Yuu’s expression.

The deity’s features are lit up like the sun, the corners of his mouth pulled upwards into a broad grin that reveals his teeth; it seems he does have sharp and pointed canines after all. Though the sight of fangs is a bit jarring at first, the delight in his eyes causes warmth to bloom in Asahi’s chest. 

“I look forward to being the best of friends with you then, Asahi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was supposed to be a oneshot but as i finished the draft for this fic, i think i'd like to make this a multichap fic or a series! just listing it as a multichap for now but lemme know if this fic is interesting enough to be expanded some more :o
> 
> update [21/08/2020]: right so i've decided to expand this into a multichap fic! hopefully i'll be able to work on this very soon!
> 
> anyway, thank you so much for reading! please do check out the other amazing fics by my fellow writers in the [asanoya week 2020 collection](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/AsanoyaWeek2020)!
> 
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